Feb 13, 2017 - Brisbane. 7-9 March. Australian Logistics Council Forum. Melbourne ... South Australia Emergency Services
On the Road
ISSUE 03 13 February 2017
Quarterly Snapshot shows jump in pre-approved routes NHVR’s Quarterly Snapshot released last week shows a jump in pre-approved routes.
Message from the CEO Welcome to this fortnight’s edition of On the Road. On 6 February we began public consultation on proposed improvements to Vehicle Standards Bulletin (VSB) 6: National Code of Practice for Heavy Vehicle Modifications. The proposed changes substantially modernises VSB6 to guide industry through modifications performed to heavy vehicles. A comprehensive review was commenced in July 2015 and while the input to date has been invaluable, we’re now seeking broader feedback from interested organisations and individuals. We really want the heavy vehicle industry to advise us on how we can make it easier for them to modify their vehicles. As this is an industry standard, your input will be critical. Interested parties have until Friday 17 March to have their say on the proposed changes to VSB6. You can find a copy of the public consultation draft at www.nhvr.gov.au/VSB6. Regards Sal Petroccitto CEO
NHVR Executive Director Access, Peter Caprioli, said there was a 16 per cent increase in pre-approved routes, bringing the total to 1313, covering 297 local councils across Australia. “Pre-approvals are vital because they eliminate the need for individual road manager consents on agreed routes, helping heavy vehicles get on the road more quickly and safely,” added Mr Caprioli.
“In addition to this, we’ve just completed trials with 20 road managers across the country on the Road Manager Portal, which provides end-to-end solutions for permit management.” Also highlighted in the report is continued growth in the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS), which is approaching some significant milestones - 10,000 modules completed and 100,000 vehicles accredited under the Maintenance Module. Click here to view the Quarterly Snapshot and Local Government Heat Maps.
To further boost efficiency and productivity, the NHVR will continue to advocate pre-approvals for local councils through its strong partnerships and local engagement strategy. Mr Caprioli said permit applications remained strong with over 95 per cent of the 5526 applications submitted to the NHVR during Q2 via the Customer Portal. “The increase in online applications through the Customer Portal and more pre-approvals means we are starting to see the benefits of improved processing times flow back to the heavy vehicle industry in terms of time saved, a more reliable application process and better transparency to track permits. “The Portal streamlines the way operators prepare, lodge and track their road permit applications, which is a major step forward for the industry,” he added.
Quarterly Snapshot Q2 2016–17
Performance Snapshot Q2 2016–17
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
On the Road – 1 3 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7
Industry Engagement The NHVR will be at the Australian Livestock Rural Transporters’ Association (both national and Queensland) conference this year, and we see this as an important event in the heavy vehicle industry calendar. The conference will be held in Toowoomba on 16-18 February. This combined national conference will feature expert speakers with the NHVR discussing access and COR as well as our CEO, Sal Petroccitto presenting a national overview. All these issues are key topics that affect the industry on a state and national basis. If you’re attending I encourage you to come up and speak to the NHVR speakers on the day with any issues you may have. The Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association is holding a unique two-day Modifications and Innovation Conference in Melbourne on 2–3 March. The conference will focus on heavy vehicle modifications and design innovation in relation to the proposed revisions to the VSB6. Interested parties will have an opportunity to contribute to this milestone document.
New heavy vehicle notice supports animal welfare The NHVR has introduced a new national heavy vehicle notice to support livestock carriers and boost animal welfare. NHVR’s Productivity & Safety Executive Director, Geoff Casey said the new notice would allow livestock carriers to add an hour to fatigue limits under specific conditions to manage animal welfare requirements in unexpected circumstances. “If a livestock operator is less than one hour from a suitable unloading site, this notice will enable that driver to reach the destination and humanely unload the livestock rather than keep them in the vehicle during a long rest break,” Mr Casey said. “We’ve worked closely with the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association to find a solution for greater flexibility for drivers of heavy vehicles carrying livestock and I’m pleased we’ve been able to achieve this outcome and still meet our strict safety requirements.” The National Livestock Welfare Work and Rest Exemption (Notice) 2017 (No. 1) will replace expiring notices in NSW and SA and applies to all types of livestock in all states and territories operating under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
The notice allows standard and Basic Fatigue Management drivers up to one hour additional driving time in limited circumstances, with risk-offset requirements that the duration of the long rest break be increased by twice the amount of additional driving time. “There are no limits on how many days that a driver can use the additional work time provided they use it to respond to an animal welfare incident but, they must pay back the additional work time before the end of their seven-day or 14-day period. “Written records will also need to be kept by the driver for on-road monitoring and compliance purposes.” Mr Casey said that drivers often find negotiating the multiple legal obligations relating to both transport law and animal welfare law a challenge. “I believe this is a sensible outcome for the industry and the best way forward for safety, productivity and animal welfare,” he added. For more information visit www.nhvr.gov. au/law-policies/notices-and-permit-basedschemes/national-notices.
Contact the NHVR on 07 3309 8576, through www.nhvr.gov.au, or come and speak to us at these or any of the below events. John Gilbert Manager, Industry Engagement
NHVR 2017 Meetings and Events Calendar
Notices
DATE
EVENT TITLE
LOCATION
15 Feb
Heavy Vehicle Workshop
Warwick
16–18 Feb
LRTAQ & ALRTA Combined National Conference (incl The Mack Truck Australia Bull Carter’s Ball)
Toowoomba
17 Feb
NatRoad Regional Trucking Summit
Dubbo
23 Feb
Wide Bay Burnett Regional Org of Councils
Biggenden
28 Feb
Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) Meeting
Canberra
1 March
Regional Road Transport Group
Barcaldine (possibly Longreach)
2-3 March
ARTSA Heavy vehicle modification and innovation conference 2017
Melbourne
8 March
Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) International Women’s Day Breakfast
Brisbane
7-9 March
Australian Logistics Council Forum
Melbourne
17 March
NatRoad Regional Trucking Summit
Toowoomba
22 March
Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) International Women’s Day Breakfast
Townsville
31 Mar - 1 Apr Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carrier Association (LBCA) NSW Conference
Dubbo
The National Livestock Welfare Work and Rest Exemption Notice 2017 (No. 1) • Provides additional work time to drivers transporting livestock. New South Wales Work Diary Exemption Notice 2017 (No. 1) • Extends current work diary arrangements for NSW bus operators. New South Wales Fatigue Record-Keeping Exemption Notice 2017 (No. 1) • Extends current record keeping arrangements for non-reward for hire drivers. South Australia Emergency Services Fatigue Exemption Notice 2017 (No. 1) • Extends current fatigue management arrangements for emergency response in SA. South Australia Country Fire Service Fatigue Exemption Notice 2017 (No. 1) • Extends current fatigue management arrangements for SA Country Fire Service employees. National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
